What started as a conversation between Dexter Gardiner and Jeff Korek back in 2010 to bring some Thanksgiving meals to those families in the Bronx most in need, has turned into an event far more impactful than either could have anticipated. The 4th Annual Gardiner Memorial Turkey Giveaway, sponsored by Lawyertime.com, did not disappoint, with more turkeys and fixings given out than ever before to the St. James Park Community.
Weeks prior to the event, sign-up sheets instructing people to bring their completed forms to 193rd Street at the entrance of St. James Park the Saturday morning before Thanksgiving, were handed out in community centers and churches throughout the area. On November 23, 2013, hundreds of families were lined up by 7 am to ensure their spot in line.
With the help of dozens of volunteers from the community, representatives from the Bronx District Court System and Gersowitz, Libo & Korek, P.C. (Lawyertime.com), The Gardiner Foundation proudly handed out over 400 turkeys, along with carrots and sweet potatoes. Not only did every family that came out to the event with their completed sign-up sheet receive their meal, but more than 50 additional meals were handed out to families who weren’t able to secure a sign-up sheet.
“We’ve been so proud to work alongside the Gardiner Foundation since 2009 to honor the Gardiner legacy and support our friends and neighbors”, said Korek, partner at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. “Handing out over 400 Thanksgiving meals is such a rewarding milestone to reach, and we can’t wait to make next years Gardiner Foundation Basketball Tournament and Turkey Giveaway even bigger.”
The Gardiner Foundation was established in 2006 by Dexter Gardiner, in memoriam of the loss of six of his family members in a horrific car accident on the Bronx River Parkway. Building upon his family’s legacy of helping others in need, the Foundation embarked on a community outreach initiative that offers educational scholarships, financial aid, spiritual guidance and burial assistance to other families in the community who have suffered a sudden and tragic loss. Since its inception, The Foundation has awarded numerous scholarships to students entering college for the first time.
